It's been a long time since I added anything to this story but the story has continued. Between March and August I managed to add on about 26 pounds in spite of the fact that I stayed lo-carb and was running 13.5 miles a day. Just proves that you can eat enough calories to gain weight even without carbs.
I'm sure part of that gain was muscle since I was working out on the Bowflex four days a week for most of that time and like I said I was running 13.5 miles a day. If you go to my web site and check out the slide show on the main page you will see that I trimmed up a lot even as I gained weight.
And on September 5th our little support group was challenged to go back on induction for a week and that got me started and I managed to lose most of the weight I had gained in less than a month. Support is important.
Which brings me to the next subject. About a year ago some of us got together and decided to start supporting each other in a more formal way. We began by meeting every Tuesday evening in a local lo-carb Ice Cream Shop and soon had grown too big for that place. So then we started a Friday evening support group that meets at a small church and now that group has grown to about 20 members. The Tuesday group still meets and there we talk about recipes and what is going on in our lives and mostly social kinds of things. The Friday group is a bit more structured and there we are combining some of Dr. Phil's ideas about losing weight with the food plans of lo-carb. What I feel is the best of all worlds and that small group is having great success. Several people in the group have lost 30 pounds or more.
On a more personal level, I ran my first ever half marathon, (13 miles), on October 25th, and finished in two hours and twenty minutes. That works out to 10 minutes and 45 seconds/mile. Not bad for an old fat man who couldn't walk across a room 23 months ago without running out of air.
On the 4th of November I had my yearly physical and everything checked out perfect. My blood work is the best it's ever been and my physical health is as good as I can ever remember it being. I have not been sick in any way in the last 23 months. And it's not because I haven't been exposed, I just believe that the combination of this WOE and the supplements I take and the exercise I do has revved my immune system up to a very high level.
I've found exercise to be a really important part of this journey and as of the end of the year I've walked almost 7,000 miles since February 4th, 2002.
And now for the really big change in my life. On December 14th my long time friend Donna and I decided it was time to tie the knot, we are to be wed on February 14th. Donna is another lo-carb success story because she has lost a hundred pounds as she has shared this weight loss journey with me.
For much more detail, including pictures and more good stuff come visit my web site and be sure to check out the slide show.
www.dvelliott.com
I believe that what Donna and I have managed to do is possible for anyone who is willing to believe in themselves enough to make the investment in time and effort that it takes to succeed. We wish you all luck on your journeys and if we can help in any way please feel free to ask.
FANTASTIC!!!
February Update
You worked soooo hard and you earned being where you are now!! Wow!! You should be a poster boy (man) for this woe. And your info. regarding your bloodwork being normal also encouraged me because I guess I have this little fear that eating all this way will somehow cause me be to unhealthy, but that's only from the hype and negative things the media and doctors are saying about this plan. Anyway, enough of all that, but congratulations to you and your sharing your journey is helping others also 
